Scope

The Implementation Science section of Frontiers in Health Services publishes highest quality, innovative studies in the field of implementation science applied to the health and social care sectors.

The section aims to offer in-depth understanding of barriers and drivers to the implementation of well-evidenced interventions and programmes and contribute implementation solutions such that scaled uptake is accelerated and routine utilisation is supported. The section further aims to advance the theoretical, methodological and measurement aspects of the science of implementation, so that it can inform practice support and policy making more effectively. Finally, the section aims to foster an evidence-based approach to the development of capacity building and education programmes to support implementation practice and research.  

Areas covered in this section include, but are not limited to the following:

· Implementation and hybrid effectiveness-implementation studies, including hybrid trials and theory-driven process evaluations

· Psychometric studies that report the development and validation of instruments that assess implementation constructs

· Studies that report on implementation stakeholder engagement or involvement processes, methods or frameworks

· Descriptive studies that focus on implementation context or apply Theory of Change methodologies or evaluation theory to support implementation

· Studies in the field of global health and social care programme implementation – including studies that report implementation evaluations in low- or middle-income country settings; and studies that contribute to the theoretical interface between implementation and health system strengthening theories and frameworks

· Studies that report the development and evaluation of educational and other capacity development programmes in implementation practice and research skills 

· Systematic reviews and meta-analyses focused on implementation effectiveness; or focused on synthesising barriers/drivers of intervention implementation

· Narrative or critical reviews, including reviews focused on implementation theory development, refinement or critique

· Scoping reviews with a clear implementation focus

We welcome submissions from any health and social care specialty, including both empirical studies and studies reporting theoretical developments. We encourage submissions across the full range of research methods, including both quantitative and qualitive approaches. We will only consider implementation case-studies if they are grounded in theory and offer a well-articulated, generalisable contribution to the field of implementation science – otherwise such submissions should be considered by health or social care specialty journals.

Submission

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